Lando Norris has claimed Max Verstappen‘s intentions in Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix were “clear”, as he admitted to avoiding numerous clashes this season.
The two title contenders provided a controversial discussion last weekend in Austin when Norris was penalised over a late overtake that he completed on Verstappen.
Norris managed a move around Verstappen’s outside at Turn 12, but he lost third place as the stewards determined that he had gained an advantage leaving the track.
The Briton disagreed with the outcome, a sentiment which McLaren echoed as it argued that Verstappen braking late and going deep made Norris exceed track limits.
Verstappen ending up ahead on the classification proved vital to the championship fight as it meant he extended his gap over Norris to 57 points with five races to go.
With Verstappen also having shoved him wide at the start, Norris has acknowledged that the Dutchman is in a position where he has less to lose should the pair touch.
“I think there’s certain things I don’t agree with,” Norris told media including Motorsport Week in the lead-up to the Mexico City Grand Prix.
“But I still want to be racing, I don’t want there to be rules for absolutely everything.
“I believe the slight way of how I got a penalty last weekend, and the consequence of how that happened, I didn’t agree with, and that’s the only thing I think that needs to be changed.
“But it’s clear what his intentions are, it’s a difficult route for me to get around, getting caught up in collisions and things like Turn 1 easily could have been, or Turn 12 could have been.
“So he’s in a much more powerful position than I am, it’s up to me and the team to try and overcome that.”
Norris has revealed that there have been other occasions where he has had to be the one to avoid a collision since the two came together at the Australian Grand Prix.
“When I’m going up against the best in the world, it’s not going to be an easy thing to do,” he continued.
“And he’s been racing in this position for longer than I have, I’m definitely not doing a perfect job, but I’m not doing a bad job.
“I’m still staying there, I’m avoiding collisions, which a lot of things that we’ve done could have easily been and turned into worse things, like bigger crashes and stuff.
“And I’ve avoided them and stayed in races which easily could have ended earlier than they have.”
Comparisons to other incidents
Norris was penalised despite the stewards deciding that George Russell warranted a punishment when he was in Verstappen’s place during a move on Valtteri Bottas.
“I think what we saw with George and Bottas’ version in some ways was very similar to ours,” Norris contended.
“I was completely ahead of Max, I was over a car length ahead of him, so I was no longer the attacking car, he was.
“I was ahead of Max, so I wasn’t having to defend, he was the one attacking me, and effectively he’s gone in too hard and overtaken off the track, I’ve just maintained my position.
“It’s something I’m sure we’ll discuss, because it’s been a big talking point, it’s been the main talking point since last weekend, not just for us, but for everyone.
“A lot of other drivers didn’t agree with it, teams didn’t agree with it, but at the same time we’re in Mexico and I have to focus on this weekend.”
Norris wants stewards with experience
Verstappen escaped the stewards’ wrath as it was determined that his Red Bull car was ahead at the apex, thus entitling him to the corner under the racing guidelines.
Asked whether more common sense must be applied when such incidences arise, Norris suggested that F1 demands stewards who have previous racing experience.
“I don’t think common sense is the correct, it’s very difficult I think to steward such things because every single case is different, none is the same,” he replied.
“I think you need to know intent of drivers, you need to understand their thought process and you can only really do that with people who have been drivers and understand racing, because they’ve been in those positions. And maybe some people who haven’t driven cars and haven’t raced, maybe they still understand those things.
“But it is a complicated thing, so I think the decision the stewards kind of came out with, I would say I still don’t agree with.
“But the general thought process of how they have to apply rules is their job, if it says this by the book then that’s the rule that has to be applied and that’s the penalty that has to be applied, but I think what happened last weekend didn’t fall into those guidelines.”
READ MORE: McLaren thought Max Verstappen, not Lando Norris under investigation in F1 US GP
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